Rotisserie



C. E. CAMPBELL Mgy 12, 1959 ROTISSERIE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1955 0/45155 f. C zwwzzz.

c. E. CAMPBELL ROTISSERIE May 12, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1955 IN V EN TOR. 6mm L Cli/Wflfil.

May 12, 1959 c. E. CAMPBELL ROTISSERIE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May.5, 1955 1. v m B Q w M 6 w n M M \m a 3 Q C May 12, 1959 c. E. CAMPBELL ROTISSERIE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 5, 1955 INVENTOR. 67/4215; fihmwzz.

Arrow/ United States Patent ROTISSERIE Charles E. Campbell, German Township, St. Joseph County, Inc].

Application May 5, 1955, Serial No. 506,120

7 Claims. (Cl. 99-421) This invention relates to improvements in rotisseries employed for cooking foods, and more particularly to a rotisserie of the type usable in a restaurant for cooking a plurality of items at the same time.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, easy to operate, which has a large cooking capacity, and which employs infra-red light bulbs as a cooking medium.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a turntable which is positively driven at a low rate of speed, and which mounts rotatably thereon a plurality of spits or food-impaling members which are associated with means for rotating the same incident to rotation of the turntable.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a novel drive means for driving a circularly arranged series of rotatable members mounted upon a rotating turntable, which device includes an endless floating chain restrained against movement in a circumferential direction but capable of movement radially inwardly and outwardly at different parts as drive members engage therewith and contact individual portions thereof.

A further object is to provide a device of this char acter having a positively driven turntable provided with drive means accommodating manual rotation thereof, if desired, and which is supported adjacent its outer margin by uniformly spaced casters to relieve the drive mecha nism from the weight thereof and of the parts carried thereby.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a simple and inexpensive and trouble-free mechanism for reducing the speed of a drive motor to effect very slow rotation of a turntable.

A further object is to provide a device of this character utilizing infra red lamps as cooking means arranged within a cylindrical housing exteriorly of the circular path of travel of rotating foodstuffs and impinging upon a central member to reflect rays therefrom to effect a cooking action at the center of the device, and wherein said ray-reflector constitutes a container for cooked foods.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the device with parts of the housing broken away and with parts shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the turntable and its driving mechanism, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the turntable and its driving mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary bottom plan view as viewed from the bottom of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the base of the device; and

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the base of the device.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a base structure. The base 10 consists of a plurality of legs 12 which are interconnected intermediate their height by substantially radially or diagonally extending brace members 14 welded or otherwise interconnected to a central member or plate 16. The upper end portions of the legs are interconnected by frame members 18 and by a circular frame member 20 which may be at a slightly higher level than the member 18. Braces 22 connect the members 18 and 20 and, if desired, a plate portion 24 may interconnect selected portions of the parts 18 and 20, as seen in Fig. 8. It will be understood that this base construction, while particularly designed for this purpose, is illustrative and is not intended to be limiting.

The base structure carries drive mechanism for the device which may be enclosed within a suitable housing 26 and may be mounted upon a base 28 secured or otherwise seated upon the frame part 14. The housing 26 may include a suitable panel 30 carrying electrical controls for the various electrical components of the device. The base plate 28 preferably carries an electric motor 32 eccentrically thereof and a speed reducer 34 substantially centrally thereof. Drive means interconnect the motor 32 and the speed reducer 34 and may be of any suitable character. As here shown, the drive means consists of a belt 36 trained around pulley 38 on the drive shaft of motor 32 and around pulley 40 on the end shaft of the speed reducer 34. The output shaft 42 of the speed reducer extends vertically at the center of the frame. The drive unit housing preferably includes an upper plate or structure 44 which is fixedly related to the base 10 in any suitable manner.

The upright drive shaft 42 has a clutch 46 mounted upon and associated therewith for driving relation to an axially aligned upper shaft 48. The clutch 46 is preferably located below the member 44, and the upper shaft 48 extends upwardly through an aperture in the plate 44 to be journaled by a suitable bearing 50 intermediate its length, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The upper end of the shaft 48 has a central recess therein to receive a sphere 52 which fits into a recess in the center of the bottom surface of a turntable 54. A ring 56 depends from the center of the turntable 54 and receives a bearing 58 which preferably includes an elongated tubular inner sleeve portion 60 fitting on the stub shaft 48. The bearing 58, 60 serves to support the turntable 54 and steady it in a horizontal position while the weight thereof bears primarily upon the sphere 52. By this arrangement it will be evident that it is possible to rotate the turntable 54 independently of the rotation of the shaft 42 and of the motor 32. The shaft 48 mounts a drive transmission member 62 intermediate its length and between the bearlugs 50 and 58, said transmission member in the form shown preferably constituting a sprocket, although it may constitute a pulley or other mechanism.

The turntable 54 is preferably crowned slightly so as to cause moisture collecting on the upper face thereof to drain radially outwardly. An annular trough 64 is carried by the base structure 10 below the level of the turntable 54 and is partially overlapped by said turntable so that moisture dripping from the turntable will be collected by the member 64, as seen in Fig. 1. In order to insure ready disassembly of the parts for repair and reconditioning, it is preferred that the sleeve structure will fit detachably upon the upper end of the stud 48, thus allowing removal of the turntable 54 readily and quickly and without need to manipulate tools. As a further means to insure adequate support of the turntable, the same is preferably provided with a series of caster wheels or rotors 66 spaced in a circular series and bearing upon the outer marginal portion of the member 44, to provide a rolling supporting contact of the unit and at the same time a substantially uniform distribution of the weight of the turntable.

The turntable 54 is provided with a circular series of substantially equispaced upwardly projecting tubular members 68 screw-threaded or otherwise secured thereto and preferably located substantially equispaced between adjacent casters 66 and at substantially the same radial spacing relative to the center of the turntable. A bearing 70, preferably in the nature of a thrust bearing, is seated on an annular shoulder at the upper end of each sleeve 68, and a bearing 72 is mounted in the lower end of each sleeve 68. These bearings serve to journal a shaft 74 extending vertically through the tube and projecting below the turntable 54. A drive transmission member 76, such as a gear or sprocket, is mounted on the lower end of the shaft 74 at the level of sprocket member 62, and a drive transmission member, such as a chain or belt 78, passes around the members 62 and 76. It will be understood that the member 76 is provided on one only of the shafts 74 rather than each of said shafts.

Each of the shafts 74 mounts a drive transmission member, such as a sprocket, gear or pulley 80, below the turntable 54, said transmission members 80 all being at the same level and being interconnected by an endless flexible drive transmission member 82, such as a chain or belt. The member 44 has fixedly secured thereto a bracket 84 projecting outwardly therefrom, and to the outer end thereof is pivotally connected a link 86 in turn pivoted to a fitting 88 which is secured to the chain or other drive transmission member 82. The arrangement of the parts is such that the chain is free to swing at any given point thereof, inwardly and outwardly, but cannot move circumferentially. Thus, assuming that six shafts 74 are employed as here illustrated, 4 with the rotation of the shaft 74 mounting the sprocket 76 causing the bodily rotation of the turntable 54, the rotation of the sprocket 80 upon that same positively driven shaft 74 will cause rotation of the turntable as the positively driven sprocket 80 walks along the chain 82. The rotation of the turntable relative to the chain or other flexible endless member 82 causes each of the other sprockets 80 associated with the remaining shafts 74 to rotate. Assuming that the sprockets 80 upon each of the shafts 74 is of the same dimension, all of the shafts 74 will rotate at the same speed and in the same direction. The turntable may carry an idler engaging member 82.

The speed reducer 34 need not provide for reduction of the speed of the motor 32 to the slow speed of operation desired for the turntable. Instead, the range of speed may be amplified by selecting a sprocket 62 upon the central shaft 4248 which is small compared to the size of the sprocket 76, which, in turn, is small compared to the length of the chain 82, thereby effecting a further substantial speed reduction. In actual practice it has been found possible by this means to secure a speed of rotation of the turntable in the order of one-quarter revolution per minute while the driving motor 32 is operating at a speed of 1700 revolutions per minute. The speed of rotation of each of the shafts 74 will be considerably in excess of the speed of rotation of the turntable so that each shaft 74 makes a number of revolutions during the time required for each complete revolution of the turntable. Each of the chains 78 and 82 will preferably be provided with a master link accommodating disconnection of the chain to facilitate ready disassembly of the parts for cleaning, inspection and re pairs. The floating nature of the chain 82 will be evident by a comparison of Figs. 2 and 6. In Fig. 2 the portion of the chain 82 at which the bracket 88 is connected is much closer spaced to the shaft 42 than in the position illustrated in Fig. 6. This illustrates the manner in which the essential shape of the chain remains constant, such as hexagonal as seen in Fig. 2, at all times,

.4 but the orientation of that hexagonal shape relative to a given point of the machine, such as the front thereof, continually changes or rotates. Thus each link of the chain is oriented along a predetermined radius of the device at all times, but is free to move radially as required by the approach of a sprocket thereto and the subsequent recession of that sprocket therefrom during operation of the device.

Each of the shafts 74 projects above the sleeve 68 and mounts a socket member having a configured bore 92, preferably hexagonal as shown, for a portion of its length. A set screw or other suitable means may be employed to anchor the member 90 fixedly to the shaft, said member 90 preferably resting upon the thrust hearing, thereby serving to hold the parts in properly oriented relation. A rigid spit or skewer 96, of the same crosssectional configuration as the socket 92, fits removably in that socket to be held in vertical position thereby and to be rotated coincident to rotation of the shaft 74. The skewer adjustably mounts a fitting 98 which is preferably adjustably anchored by means of a set screw 100 or other adjustable locking means. At its lower end the member 98 carries a hood portion 102 of greater diameter than the diameter of the socket member 90 and fitting closely thereabove, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to prevent the dripping of food juices from food articles carried by the skewer 96 onto the socket 90 or the sleeve 68. The bracket 98, or any other suitable adjustable means carried by the skewer 96, mounts impaling members 104 projecting outwardly and thence upwardly relative to the skewer 96 and the bracket mounting said impaling pins. A second impaling pin structure, including a sleeve 106 anchored at selected elevation by a set screw 108 or other suitable means and carrying depending impaling members 110 spaced outwardly from the skewer 96, is carried by the upper end of said skewer. The skewer will be provided with a pointed upper end portion 112.

In the use of the device it will be apparent that the upper impaling structure 106, 110 on each skewer 96 will be removed preparatory to receiving foodstuffs, such as meat or fowl, which can be impaled by the skewer and anchored by the lower impaling members 104. Thereupon the upper impaling structure 106, 110 can be assembled in place and the combined action of the impaling members and skewer will hold the foodstuff in selected position to rotate with the skewer. A pan 114, preferably having a central upwardly offset portion 116 apertured to fit around the skewer 96, is adapted to receive food juices dripping from the food, so as to limit the amount of food juices which contact the turntable 54. The hood 102 will overlie the ofiset of the pan so as to protect the aperture therein which fits around the skewer from passage of food juices therethrough.

A housing encases the structure heretofore described and includes side walls 120, here shown as substantially cylindrical and as anchored or supported at the part 20 of the base 10. A top 122 spans the side walls. An access opening is provided in the side walls 120, as at 124, although a plurality of such access openings may be provided if desired. One or more closures 126 are adapted to span the access opening 124. In cases where the housing is cylindrical, the access doors will preferably be arcuate and will be mounted in arcuate guides (not shown) to slide therein to open position. The access doors may be provided with sight openings 128, although, if desired, the entire access door 126 and also the housing 120 may be formed of glass. The transverse dimension of the housing will be substantially greater than the diameter of the turntable 54 so that the edge of the turntable has clearance with the side walls 120, as best seen in Fig. 1. Skewers 96 are located inwardly from the margin on the turntable 54 and hence are substantially spaced from the side walls 120, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The present rotisserie is intended primarily for use with infra-red heat lamps as the cooking medium. Such lamps are arranged at spaced relation about the interior of the housing 120. Each lamp 130 is mounted in a socket 132, preferably of the type including a universal joint so that the location and orientation of the bulb 130 may be adjusted as desired. Sockets 132 are connected electrically by conductors 134 in one or more circuits which extend to control switches upon central panel 30 and which are adapted to be associated with the lead lines from a power source (not shown). The light bulbs 130 will preferably be arranged in predetermined patterns within the structure, and each will focus substantially radially inwardly toward a central cylindrical reflective member 136 carried by the turntable 54 and preferably having a removable cover 138.

It will be seen that, when food is mounted upon the skewers 96 and the turntable is caused to rotate and the skewers are caused to rotate upon the turntable, the food will be subjected at all surfaces thereof uniformly to the action of the infra-red rays of the lamps 130. Also it will be apparent that at such times as an article of food does not intercept all or a part of the beam of any lamp, the rays not intercepted by the food will be intercepted by and reflected by the member 136 and thereby be caused to act upon or impinge against the then interiorly positioned portion of a food article carried by an adjacent skewer. This renders the use of infra-red lamps highly efficient for cooking purposes, reduces or eliminates waste, and increases the rapidity of the cooking operation. Additionally, the member 134 is somewhat heated by the rays and thus may become and be used as a cooking vessel for cooking other foods, such as vegetables, or for toasting bread to be used as dressing for fowls. In the use of the device it is possible to secure access quickly to all portions of the turntable regardless of the location thereof by the simple expedient of manually rotating the turntableto such a position as to render accessible the portion or skewer thereof which the user desires. Thus, despite the fact thatthe device operates at a very slow rate of speed under normal conditions, for example, a rate of speed at which one revolution of the turntable occurs each four minutes, there is no difliculty resulting from such slow speed operation insofar as the handling and the accessibility of all food articles on the device is concerned.

Another characteristic of the device, as a result of the support thereof upon the casters, is that the weight of the turntable and its associated parts, including the articles to be cooked thereby, is supported uniformly without endangering the stability of the turntable. Inasmuch as cooking action requires heat, and such heat is generated by the infra-red lamps and is concentrated at the center of the structure, it is interesting to observe that the center bearing structure, as illustrated in Fig. 5, accommodates expansion of the metal and relative displacement of the turntable and the spindle due to heat distortion. In other words, binding of the parts due to expansion thereof is eliminated.

Another interesting characteristic of the device is that the access doors may be of a size large enough, or may be of such a number, as to render spacing therebetween small so that the user may readily reach any part of the interior of the device. This makes possible ease of cleaning of the device and also easy and rapid replacement of the infra-red lamps.

Another interesting and important characteristic of the device is the use of receptacles 114 to collect and retain juices dripping from the article of food cooked upon an adjacent skewer. This tends to cause the device to remain clean in operation. In addition, even if food juices should fall upon the turntable, they are drained therefrom into the annular collecting vessel 64 so that only a small amount of the surface of the device is exposed to contact with grease and food juices. This renders the device essentially clean in operation and enhances its utility with respect to the speed at which it can be cleaned. The electric leads 134 are preferably encased within conduits for the purpose of protecting the leads or lines against accidental contact of liquids therewith.

Another important characteristic of the device is the fact that the turntable may be lifted bodily by reason of the construction illustrated in Fig. 5, and the device is thus rendered readily accessible for cleaning, repair and inspection. Such disassembly of the device can be accommodated by simple release of the master link of the chain driven from the center shaft 42.

Because of the provision of a large number of skewers within the device, and also the provision of a large number of infra-red lamps, it is possible to accomplish effective cooking of a large quantity of meat within a short period of time. This renders the device particularly well suited for use by restaurants, institutions, hotels, and other organizations which serve large quantities of food in one meal. The device also makes possible, with minimum attention, the cooking of meat by infra-red lamps which possesses many advantages, including effective cooking without sacrifice of any substantial proportion of the native juices of the meat. Thus a completely cooked turkey is much more succulent and juicy when cooked in this apparatus than when cooked in a conventional stove.

The utility of the device is not limited to the cooking of meat. Thus the skewers may be replaced by rotatable pan carriers for receiving other types of foods to be baked, stewed or otherwise cooked.

The provision of a clutch in the device is important to insure that the operator may reach any desired item in the device regardless of where it may be located at the time he desires it. Thus, the provision of a clutch permits manual advancing of the turntable at any time. The location of the clutch, while here shown as associated with the drive shaft leading from the speed reducer, is not essential at that point, and it will be understood that a clutch may be provided at any other point in the mechanism which will permit the manual advance of the turntable when desired.

It will be understood that, while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, changes in the construction may be made Within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a rotisserie, a housing including a base structure, drive means carried by said base and having an upright shaft, a turntable centrally supported by said shaft, a plurality of spaced upright shafts journaled in said turntable, a skewer mounted on each of said last named shafts, drive transmitting means connecting said first shaft and one of said last named shafts, a series of rotation transmitting members each carried by one of said last named shafts, a flexible endless member anchored to said base at one part thereof for radial movement only relative to said base, said endless member being supported by and drivingly engaging said rotation transmitting members.

2. In a rotisserie, a housing having a base structure, drive means carried by said base and having an upright shaft, a turntable centrally supported by said shaft, a plurality of spaced upright shafts journaled in said turntable and each mounting a skewer, drive transmitting means connecting said first shaft and one of said last named shafts, a series of rotation transmitting members each carried by one of said last named shafts, a flexible endless member shiftably anchored to said base for movement radially of said turntable and engaged and supported by said rotation transmitting members, said turntable mounting a plurality of spaced rotatable supporting members traversing the upper surface of said base structure.

3. In a rotisserie, a housing having a base structure, drive means carried by said base and having an upright shaft, a turntable centrally supported by said shaft, a

plurality of Spaced upright shafts journaled in said turntable and each mounting a skewer, drive transmitting means connecting said first shaft and one of said last named shafts, a series of rotation transmitting members each carried by one of said last named shafts, a flexible endless member, a member carried by said base and including a part extending alongside said endless member and shiftable substantially radially relative to said turntable and anchoring said endless member, said rotation transmitting members having driving engagement with and supporting said endless member.

4. In a rotisserie, a housing having a base structure, drive means carried by said base and having an upright shaft, a turntable centrally supported by said shaft, a plurality of spaced upright shafts journaled in said turntable and each mounting a skewer, drive transmitting means connecting said first shaft and one of said last named shafts, a sprocket carried by each of said last named shafts, an endless chain trained around and supported by said sprockets, a link pivoted to said base at one end and pivotally connected to said chain at its other end, said link normally extending substantially alongside said chain whereby its chain-connected end shift in a path substantially radially of said turntable.

5. in a rotisserie, a housing having a base structure, drive means carried by said base and having an upright shaft, a turntable centrally supported by said shaft, a plurality of spaced upright shafts journaled in said turntable and each mounting a skewer, drive transmitting means connecting said first shaft and one of said last named shafts, a series of rotation transmitting members each carried by one of said last named shafts, a flexible endless member shiftably anchored to said base for movement radially of said turntable and engaged and supported by said rotation transmitting members, said first named shaft being formed of a pair of aligned parts, and a clutch connecting said shaft parts.

6, In a rotisserie, a housing having a base structure, drive means carried by said base and having an upright shaft, a turntable centrally supported by said shaft, a plurality of spaced upright shafts journaled in said turntable and each mounting a skewer, drive transmitting means connecting said first shaft and one of said last named shafts, a series of rotation transmitting members each carried by one of said last named shafts, a flexible endless member anchored to said base at one part thereof for movement radially of said turntable and engaged and supported by said rotation transmitting members, said turntable being located above said drive transmitting and shaft rotating means, said last named shafts projecting through said turntable, and a socket mounted on the upper end of each shaft.

7. In a rotisserie, a housing having a base structure, drive means carried by said base and having an upright shaft, a turntable centrally supported by said shaft, a plurality of spaced upright shafts journaled in said turntable and each mounting a skewer, drive transmitting means connecting said first shaft and one of said last named shafts, a series of rotation transmitting members each carried by one of said last named shafts, a flexible endless member shiftably anchored to said base at one part for movement radially relative to said turntable and engaged and supported by said rotation transmitting members, said turntable being located above said drive transmitting and shaft rotating means, said last named shafts projecting through said turntable, a plurality of sleeves carried by said turntable and each encircling one of said last named shafts, bearings in said sleeves journaling and supporting said last named shafts, and a socket mounted on the upper end of each of said last named shafts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,146,480 Disbrow et a1. July 13, 1915 1,786,300 Harrison Dec. 23, 1930 1,790,488 Saunders et a1. Jan. 27, 1931 2,040,016 Sanders May 5, 1936 2,263,866 Barber Nov. 25, 1941 2,377,873 Finizie June 12, 1945 2,549.019 Saunders Apr. 17, 1951 2,565,786 Spartalis Aug. 28, 1951 2,596,316 White May 13, 1952 

